This may not be news to many of you, but I recently discovered that the WDNR now keeps a running total of the spring harvest at the bottom of their "Leftover Permit Availability" page. It says the numbers are "current", but there is no time stamp on it, so how current is open to question.http://dnr.wi.gov/permits/springturkey.html

What it does show is that the first period harvest numbers are back up from last year's dismal harvest. Way back up. I don't want to leap to conclusions, but it suggests that turkey harvest numbers are much more susceptible in the short term to hunting weather (lousy first period last year) than the vicious winter we just had. At least in the southern zones. Long term, I'd guess that last year's rough breeding spring will eventually show up in the harvest.

Last spring first period, according to an online article I located & Charlie Elk's website, the spring harvest was down 39% from 2012, to 7132. This spring, as of Tues evening the last day of period A, the harvest as shown on the attached screenprint was 12,262. Up 72% from 2013, & back above 2012.

Zone 6 harvest just increased from 136 to 140. Zone 7 from 66 to 70, whereas "southern" Zone 1 from 2232 to 3959. I do caution that these numbers may not be complete, the eventual total may be a bit higher in all Zones.